When You're Gone

Rose dressed for the rehearsal dinner the night after the bachelor and bachelorette parties. She could not seem to get the image of Mack out of her head. He'd looked devastatingly handsome in the red T-shirt and black leather jacket hugging them to his upper body. After five years he looked even better than he had the night he'd walked out. And now she was going to see him again…

She sighed an enormous, frustrated sigh as she glanced at her reflection in the full length mirror. Black was all wrong for a rehearsal dinner. The dress Ronny had picked out for her to wear in the wedding was puffy and pale yellow and Rose didn't want to have to wear it twice.

Rose stomped into the walk-in closet. Why, why, why did Ronny insist on torturing her with a rehearsal dinner? Unfortunately it was too late to call and say she couldn't come. Ronny had called only an hour ago, so Rose knew she was going to have to tough it out.

Shifting through her racks of clothing, Rose spotted something she'd hidden away five years ago: one of Mack's uniform jackets, black with neat red trim. She bunched the fabric between her hands and lifted it to her face, inhaling the lingering Mack smell of ivory soap and cologne. Her Mack. God she missed him.

Behind Mack's jacket hung a short bright pink dress. Perfect. She rid herself of the black garment and slid the pink one on, relishing in the cool silk against her skin.

Rose, pleased with her choice of clothing, exited the closet again, taking Mack's jacket with her. She laid it on the end of her bed and turned back to the mirror, running a brush through her hair.

She found a pair of black sandals with a slight heel and the dress's matching sheer wrap, gathered up her purse and looked at herself in the mirror once more. "I guess it's now or never," Rose murmured to the empty apartment. "Come on Rose, it's two hours tops. You are more than capable of doing this."

The former pink ranger took a deep breath, turned off her bedroom light and strode out of her apartment, locking the door firmly behind her.

But something was missing, Rose realized as she got into her car. Something very important. Absently, she glanced down at her left hand. Her ring, the one shaped like a rose, was still up in her room. There was no way she could get through this dinner without that ring.

She stomped back up the apartment and into her room. She took out the cherry wood pirate treasure chest, removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger once more. Yes, now she felt better.

--

Mack examined the name plates on the table he was assigned for at the rehearsal dinner. Dax and Mira Lo and…Rose Ortiz. Ronny had done that on purpose. He'd have to speak with her about that. No doubt Rose was going to ignore him like she had last night. Five years had gone by since he's walked out, and she couldn't even say a simple hello? Could that mean she still hurt for him?

Whatever the reason Rose had for refusing to look at him didn't matter. They were civilized adults here and he could be the bigger person and be polite to her. Yes, that was precisely what he was going to do.

Mack wondered briefly if Rose had seen him with the other girl who looked eerily similar to her and if that was why she hadn't looked his way. 'No,' he thought, 'Stop speculating and act normal. It doesn't matter if Rose is jealous of some club hopping tramp. It's been long enough. If I want to go out I sure as hell can.'

Dax and Mira arrived then, the former looking a little hung over. Mack chuckled lightly, turning his head. And there she was, Rose Ortiz, in all her glory. Mack wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms where she belonged and kiss her. But he couldn't, so he hastily gulped down some ice water in an attempt to calm himself.

She greeted Dax and Mira warmly and picked up the small menu at her place, pretending to study the food selection. Rose still did not look his way.

"Hello Rose," Mack said softly. He was determined to get her so speak to him. Very slowly, Rose looked over at him, and Mack had to say he liked what he saw: his gorgeous Rose wearing the pink dress she used to wear when they had a special event, looking devastatingly beautiful in it. One of the thin straps had slipped off of her shoulder. Mack followed the curves of her shoulders down to her arms, remembering how they'd be exposed in the morning as her pajama tops slid off of her. He sipped at his water again.

"Hi Mack," she replied in a small voice, and then she smiled briefly at him. Rose promptly turned back to Mira and struck up conversation, leaving Mack to return to his studying of her. There was really no denying it: Rose was exceptional…breathtaking, even. Water dribbled down his front.

Then he noticed the silver rose on her finger. The ring he'd left for her all those years ago…he couldn't believe she still had it, let alone still wore it. Rose noticed him staring at it and moved her hand slightly, gripping the menu again and scrunching her brow as if seriously contemplating what to order.

Ronny stood up from the long table in the center of the room and cleared her throat loudly. "We have a little slide show set up for you to enjoy-" the guests laughed- "So shut up and admire all of our baby photos." Will, ginning, raised his glass of champagne and clinked it against hers.

Everyone fell quiet as the slide show of baby pictures began. There was a four-year-old Ronny in a racing helmet twice as big as her head, a five-year-old Will refusing to play with his brother and sister. Even then he'd preferred to work alone, Mack thought, smirking.

Rose watched sadly. She wished this could be her rehearsal dinner and a slide show stuffed with her baby pictures and Mack's happy grin. But it wasn't, and it was her fault. There was no one to blame but her.

The fact that Mack was only sitting mere inches away wasn't helping her any.

--

Rose went with Ronny and Will back to their apartment to get a book Ronny had borrowed. Ronny brought it out to her and then collapsed on their bed again. "Will," she whined, "Could you go to the store and bring me back some cookie dough ice cream?"

"Sure can, babe," he answered. Rose headed to the door after yelling good-bye to her friend.

"You got a minute, Rose?" asked Will as the two headed down the many flights of stone stairs to the street. "I need to talk to you and it can't wait."

"OK," Rose replied, looking up at the former black ranger. "What's on your mind?"

"Just that you hurt my best friend and you insist on doing it more than once," he answered nastily.

"I know I hurt him," Rose said, her voice thick with tears. "I know I did. It hurt me too. It still does."

"Does it? Because I'm under the impression that you hurt because you care. And I really don't think you care, Rose."

"Don't you ever tell me that I don't care about Mack Hartford, Will. Don't you ever tell me that. I care more than you'll ever know…more than he'll ever know."

"Get in the car," Will said, and he was still angry. "I need to show you something."